This disclosure relates to a component and configuration for removing debris from a cooling flow in a gas turbine engine.
A gas turbine engine typically includes a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. Air entering the compressor section is compressed and delivered into the combustor section where it is mixed with fuel and ignited to generate a high-speed exhaust gas flow. The high-speed exhaust gas flow expands through the turbine section to drive the compressor and the fan section. The compressor section typically includes low and high pressure compressors, and the turbine section includes low and high pressure turbines.
Typical compressor and turbine sections include fixed vanes and rotating blades that seal with respect to blade outer air seals (BOAS). A secondary flow system is provided between the BOAS and vanes and the high pressure turbine case structure. This flow is used to cool various components within the very hot high pressure turbine section during engine operation. Some of the cooling passages in components within the high pressure turbine are relatively small and are fed by the secondary cooling flow. Debris carried by the secondary flow can clog these passages.
An erosion energy dissipater has been used in the secondary flow path to choke the flow and reduce the velocity of any debris carried by the secondary flow. One end of the dissipater has a large diameter outlet orifice, and the other end has multiple inlet orifices, which have a total area that is much smaller than a large diameter outlet orifice. The relative total areas of the inlet and outlet orifices reduce the energy of the debris in the secondary flow when passing through the dissipater.